The Yankees struggled all over the field on Sunday afternoon, falling to the Cleveland Indians 11-1.
Here are the key takeaways…
1. Gerrit Cole didn’t get off to the start he’d like, hitting the leadoff man Bradley Zimmer and then walking Jose Ramirez with one out. Bobby Bradley hit a dribbler down the third base line that stayed fair, but DJ LeMahieu couldn’t get the force out. Harold Ramirez hit a ground ball past Anthony Rizzo at first to give the Indians a 2-0 lead. Cole got the much needed 6-4-3 double play to escape the jam.
2. Cole bounced back in the second inning, sending Cleveland down in order including a strikeout. Gleyber Torres put the Yankees in the hit column in the bottom half with a two-out double to the wall in right-center field. Torres was left stranded at second as Brett Gardner grounded out to the pitcher Eli Morgan.
3. Zimmer and Jose Ramirez both singled to get on base again in the third inning. Harold Ramirez hit a fly ball to shallow left-center field with two outs, as Aaron Judge and Gardner couldn’t get to it in time, giving the Indians a 4-0 lead. Roberto Perez made it a 5-0 game with an RBI single up the middle.
Gio Urshela got the Yanks on the board with a solo homer to right field, as they trailed 5-1. Harold Ramirez had to leave the game after crashing into the wall on the home run, ending the chance to add to his four RBI game.
4. Cole gave up a solo home run to Jose Ramirez in the top of the fifth inning, as he blasted his 35th of the season to the second deck to give the Indians a 6-1 lead. Cole struck out Bobby Bradley, and then let up a single to Myles Straw. The ace got himself out the inning by picking off Straw and then striking out Yu Chang.
5. In the top of the sixth, Perez silenced the crowd at Yankee Stadium with a solo home run to the bullpen off Cole, giving the Indians a 7-1 lead. Cole got two outs in the inning before ending his day on the mound with Lucas Luetge replacing him. He allowed seven earned runs on 10 hits with seven strikeouts and a walk over 5.2 IP and 104 pitches.
6. After a single and an error by LeMahieu, Chang singled to put Cleveland up 8-1 in the top of the seventh inning. The Indians continue to hit in the eighth, as Andres Gimenez doubled off Clarke Schmidt to leadoff. Schmidt issued a walk and then recorded a strikeout, before a passed ball by Kyle Higashioka allowed runners to advance to second and third. Schmidt walked Oscar Mercado and then allowed a two-run single to Jose Ramirez, making it 10-1.
Cleveland tacked another run on in the ninth inning to go up 11-1 after a error on Rizzo with the runner reaching first on a fielder’s choice.
7. Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and Luke Voit all went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts at the plate.
Highlights
What’s next
The Yankees begin a three-game series against the Texas Rangers on Monday at 7:05 p.m. at Yankee Stadium.
Neither team has announced a starting pitcher yet.